Latch



March s, 1938. L, H, LEHMAN 2,110,336

LATCH Fiied Aug. 22, 1956 Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITE Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in a latch construction and more particularly to a latch device of simple and inexpensive construction adapted for use in connection with 5 swingably mounted doors, windows and. the like.

Among the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a latch in which a springpressed bolt or detent partakes of combined sliding and rotating movement within its supporting casing in the course of its latching operation so as to reduce to a minimum friction whichmight tend to cause the bolt or detent to jam and so render the latch difficult to operate; it not wholly inoperative.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a latch construction in which the detent or bolt presents similar surfaces to the lamb element against which the latch-equipped closure abuts during the operations of closing and open- 20 ing the closure, these surfaces being rounded and the detent being so arranged that a simple pressure on the closure in either opening or closing direction will effect the necessary retraction of the detent during engagement and disengagement thereof with respect to the jamb.

Still another object of the invention is to provide-a latch unit which functions to securely retain a closure equipped therewith in closed posi tion against a jamb, at the same time permitting the closure to be readily swung into open position and away from the jamb by simply pulling or pushing against the closure, thereby eliminating the necessity of employing in the latch unit any manually operable means for retracting the de-- 23 tent whenever the latter action is required.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that the invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, as described in detail hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawing, and as finally pointed out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawing, it will be observed that the latch as constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention is shown mounted upon a shower stall door. It will be understood that this showing is for iLustrative purposes solely because obviously the latch unit of the present invention may be employed in connection with closures and devices other than that illustrated in the drawing. Moreover, it will be understood that the device of the present invention may function not only as a latch or detent to retain in closed position a swingably mounted closure, but it also may be employed as an anti-rattling device to prevent rattling of windows and the like within their supporting frames.

In the said accompanying drawing:-

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a swingably mounted shower stall door equipped with a latch device constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-4! of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the latch, unit per se;

Figure 4 is a view showing in perspective the separate component part of the latch unit of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional View corre sponding to Figure 2 but showing a modified latching arrangement;

Figure 6 is a view showing a modified arrange ment and installation of a latch constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views showing still another modified form of the latch unit.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figures 3 and l thereof, it will be noted that the latch unit of the present invention comprises a body ill preferably formed in one piece as by casting the same or stamping it of sheet metal. This body is in the form of a shell or casing it all sides of which are closed except for the front 52 thereof. Projecting oppositely from either side of the casing H are a pair of apertured securing lugs l-El3, the apertures Hil4 thereoi being preferably in the form of elongated slots. The front edges of the support ing lugs I 3-13 extend preferably coincidentally with the front edge of the casing 51, while the lugs themselves are preferably disposed in the plane of the base wall it of the casing.

Adapted to extend transversely between the opposed side Walls iii-it of the casing a pin H, the opposite extremities of this pin being respectively received within suitable apertures iii-l8 provided in said side walls of the casing. As appears quite clearly in Figures 3 and 4, this pin ii is located closely adjacent the open end of the casing and is adapted to retain in position ole-- tent is of hollow cylindrical This. detent i9 is of an external diameter slightly less than the internal depth of the casing ll ar is of an axial dimension slightly less than tl width of said casing. The detent i9 is, there o, adapted to be freely accommodated within interior of the casing Hand it is secured therein against accidental displacement therefrom by means of thereof in engagement with the detent l9.

exteriorly of the casing is substantially semi cylindrical, thus providing similar curved sur faces a and b to either side of the-plane common to the offset axes of the detent I9 and-the pin J].- In consequence of this, it will be understood that the detent may be forced interiorlyiofthe casing" ll against the normal biasing action ofthe coil.. spring 2|], that is, into the dotted line position shown in Figureifi byexerting a pressure against either-of'said'curved surfaces aorb:v 1

Figures 1 and 2 show the application of the latch of the Present invention to a. shower stall door, 22 which is swingably ;mo,unt,ed. within a suitable: framex23 having a vertically; extending jamb M'. .This-jamb 24 is provided withta'tlatr eral extension 25; extending longitudinally ofithe .jamb and providing aniabutment for the freevertical edge of the door 22; I The latch I9 is mount- I edaupon the. inner'surface of the door frame'iat a convenient elevation and with thefront edge of the latch casing spaced; inwardly of the free vertical edge of the door just sufiicienttoclearthe vertical abutment 25 when the door is swung'into closed position: With the latch mounted in this position; it will vbewobserved that? as the door is swung into closed position, the detent I9 passes freely over thefree edgezof' the jamb abutment 25 and' assumes' the. position shown .in"Figurew2 in which theiamb abutment isdisposed between the: outwardlybiased. detent and the inner face of the door frame:.. I 1 v -To facilitate openingand closing of the 'door, theflatter provided. withinner and: outer handles 26*21: :which. are immovably secured upon opposite-facesof the' door, these handles being employed for opening and closing the door. ltiwillbe apparent that. neitherof thesehandles isemployed tooperate. the'latch'except indirectly through movement-of the door and consequently the'shandlesneed not be located as shown. En

gagement and disengagement of the detent-with respectltorthe jamb: is.- efiectedl solely through 1 movement .of the-door into opened orclosedpositiong it' being noted that the shifting "of the detent .trelatively to the jamb abutment and into the dotted lineiposition shown in Figure 3 is similarly effected'irrespective of whether the detent traverses'the. jamb from front to rearthereof, as when 'the door 'isiclosed or, --vice versa, as when theudoorisopened. f" Due to. the cylindrical shape of the detent l9 and the fact that it is of hollow construction, the

.- amount of friction encountered by thedetent as it passes over the jamb abutment edge'is' reduced to "a veritable minimum as isthe possib'ility of the detent jamming within its casing. Also, due tothe factithat' thendetent i9. is capable of partaking: of ,a rotating. movement simultaneously as it is pressed. interiorly f its casing, marring of thesurface finish of the jamb edge over which the 'deten't passes. is substantially eliminated. And finally,nwhile-'the detent -servesmost' effectively to secure the door in closedwposition against accidental or unintentional opening, the door nevertheless may be readily opened from within or without the shower stall and thus eliminate the possibility of the door becoming locked in closed position.

The latch of the present invention is of course adapted to various installations, being not at all limited to the particular installation shown in Figure. 2 wherein the swingable closure abuts againsta .-fixed jamb elementqwith the detent I9 retainingit in'j.such position.j Thus, in Figure the closure 26 is free to swing laterally to either side of the jamb member 21, this latter being provided with a depression or seat 28 adapted to receive the detent IQ of the latch H) where- ..by. to maintain the closure in the position shown. By si'mply moving the closure laterally to either .'side ofthe jamb memberfl, the latch detent is unseated from its retaining depression, and converselyfwhen the closure is swung into the positionqshown the. detent rides into its seat to retain the closure in that position.

Figureafi shows an arrangement wherein a latch of. the present invention is set into a conventional-idoor 29 or other such swingably mounted closure; In this arrangement, the free edge of the door is provided with a socket 30 which serves substantially as the socketed casing I l of the latch unit, hereinbefore described. The latch is providedwith a detent 3| similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 5, which is, however, retained in position by means modified somewhat from that heretofore shown and described. This means includes a plate 32 which is inserted in the socket formed in the door edge and which is provided with a detent retaining element 33 formed either as an integral part of the plate or as a pin separately secured thereto. The element 33 if desired, may be struck out of the body portion 34 of the plate 32. V

The rear extremity of the plate 32 may be upturned, as to 35, to provide a rear backing for the coil spring 36, while the front extremity of the plate is downturned to provide an anchorage to secure the plate permanently in position, as by means of a screw 31. If desired, the spring 36 may be provided with a follower cap 38, which may likewise be employed in the form'of latch shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive.

It will be apparent, of course, that in all installations of the latch, the axis of the detent (IQ of Figure 4 and 3| of Figure 6) parallels the edge of the closure upon which it is mounted. In some instances it may be desired that the detent be free to oscillate universally to a limited extent, that is, about an axis other than the detent axis. To this end, the edges of the detent may be rounded, as at, (see Figure'fi), instead of being finished flat as shown in Figure 4.

Figures 7 and 8 show a slightly modified form of the latch unit constructed in accordance with and embodying the principal features of the present invention. In this modified form, the casing 49 may be stamped or drawn out of relatively thin metal, with the open end thereof outwardly flanged, as at 4|. Struck out of the wall of the casing 40 immediately .to'the rear of the flange 4| are a pair of diametrically or oppositely disposed detent-limiting elements 42-42. These elements 42-42 project interiorly of the casing 40 and into the bore of the-detent 43 to serve the same function as the pin ll of Figure 3 and the element 33 of Figure 6. In all respects the latch unit of Figures 7 and 8 is substantially like those above described, although it may be noted that if desired and to facilitate its insertion within a bored recess provided in the edge of a door or the like, the rear portion of the casing 40 may be cylindrically formed, this being the portion which encompasses the coil spring M and its follower cap 45.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is susceptible of various other changes than those shown herein which may be made from time to time without departing from the essential principles thereof as defined in the appended claims. Thus, instead of employing a tubular detent of the nature shown, the detent may be of substantially spherical shape with a diametrical bore therein of a diameter sufliciently greater than the diameter of retaining pin as to permit the rotating and sliding movement described as inherent in the detent shown in the drawing, the latch casing being designed to snugly accommodate the modified detent.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A latch of the character described comprising a main body member having an elongated socket therein of rectangular cross-section, a tubular detent disposed within' the mouth of said socket, means projecting transversely of the opposite walls of the socket and into the bore of said detent to limit the movement of the latter within said socket, said means being operative to restrict the movement of the detent to an extent sufiicient to present only a minor segmental portion thereof exteriorly of the socket, and spring-biasing means for urging said detent outwardly of the socket to the extent permitted by said limiting means.

2. A latch of the character described comprising a main body member having an elongated socket therein of rectangular cross-section, a hollow detent disposed within the mouth of said socket and with the axis of the bore thereof extending transversely of the socket, means for limiting the movement of said detent, said means being carried by the socket walls for projection into the bore of the detent and being operative to restrict the movement of the detent to an extent sufficient to present only a minor segmental portion thereof exteriorly of the socket, and means for biasing said detent to normally maintain it partially projected from said socket.

3. A latch of the character described comprising a main body member having an elongated socket therein of rectangular cross-section, a

hollow detent disposed within the mouth of said socket and with the axis of the bore thereof extending transversely of the socket, means projecting interiorly of the socket and into the bore of the detent to retain the latter against displacement from its socket, said means being operative to restrict the movement of the detent to an extent sufficient to present only a minor segmental portion thereof exteriorly of the socket, and means for biasing said detent to normally maintain it partially projected from said socket, the relative arrangement of the detent and its retaining means being such as to permit the detent to partake of a combined rotative and rectilinear shifting movement relatively to said retaining means.

4. A latch of the character described comprising a socketed main body member having substantially parallel side walls, a pin extending transversely across the socket adjacent the open end thereof, and a spring-pressed tubular detent loosely embracing said pin and adapted normally to project exteriorly of said socket, said pin being operative to permit only a minor segment of the detent to project exteriorly of the socket, the bore of the detent being of a diameter sufficiently great relatively to that of said pin as to permit it to be bodily shifted interiorly of the said socket, the side walls of the socket serving as guides for the detent throughout its shifting movement.

5. A latch of the character described comprising a socketed main body member having substantially parallel side walls, a pin extending transversely of the socket adjacent the open end thereof, a cylindrical detent disposed within the socket in loosely embracing relation with respect to said pin, the latter being disposed a sufficient distance inwardly of the open end of the socket to so limit the outward shifting of the detent that the axis thereof does not traverse the plane of the open end of the socket, and means for exerting an outwardly directed bias upon the detent whereby only a minor segmental portion thereof normally projects exteriorly of said socket, the bore of the detent being of a diameter sufiiciently great relatively to that of said pin as to permit it to be bodily shifted interiorly of the said socket, the side walls of the socket serving as guides for the detent throughout its shifting movement.

LOUIS H. LEHMAN. 

